


Salpinx (War Trumpet)

by Polemokrateia



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, HOMER - Works, Hellenistic Religion & Lore, The Iliad - Homer
Genre: Argos, Gen, Trojan War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 16:49:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16706242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polemokrateia/pseuds/Polemokrateia
Summary: Or Diomedes, Nestor, Sthenelos and some wo~~onderful news.Was trying to deal with writer's block, plus thinking about Diomedes' character and how well he and Nestor understand each other.





	Salpinx (War Trumpet)

Parched Argos decided to prove its epithet true with a particularly dry summer – which would have been the least of Nestor’s concerns had he not needed to visit the city. As it is, he has no choice but to endure the vicious sun and hope his voyage is not fruitless.

Ah, but he would have been a happy man indeed had the weather been his greatest trouble. No such luck.

He is welcomed by Kapaneides Sthenelos, rests for a while, but enjoying the hospitality of the palace can wait. Apparently, at this time of the day the city’s ruler is usually at the stables, and this is a perfect opportunity to speak to him away from undue attention. 

Besides, there are many distractions in the palace itself, and around it. Scribes busily moving tablets from one room to another, comparing notes. Officers bringing in reports. A smith demanding to know why he received less metal than he needed. Peculiar.

Or, rather, not peculiar at all.

Sthenelos is unperturbed, and leads the guest to a much less imposing building, with its unmistakable smells.

Nestor understands the desire to train one’s horses personally all too well, so the place feels entirely appropriate to him – a second home shared by most well-born men.

Here the young king is, as expected. Along with a magnificent chestnut mare trotting around the yard. Circles, circles, sweat and dust. Even the horse is not enjoying the heat.

\- Diomedes, we have a visitor. He says he has important matters to discuss. 

\- Good, Sthenelos. Sounds like something not meant for the palace walls to overhear.

Palace walls are a fascinating existence. Very much alive and full of ears – not always friendly to the current residents of the citadel. For Argos, this is doubly true.

The exhausted mare is led away by a servant, and all pretense of levity is banished from the scene along with her. Diomedes is all business now.

\- Khaire, son of Neleus, you honour us with your presence.

\- Khaire to you as well, Tydeides. I wish I was bringing happy tidings, but that choice is not mine to make.

\- Do those tidings come from Sparta, by chance?

\- Oh, so you have heard already.

\- No. Nothing whatsoever. Just horse gossip, - the son of Tydeus grins.

Nestor fails to suppress a smile of his own. It seems, stable walls are not always deaf, either. 

\- But of course. Incidentally, this matter you know nothing about is highly likely to end in war. The Atreidai expect all those who swore the oath of Tyndareos to remember that oath now and lead men against windy Wilusa.

\- Without sending an embassy to Priam beforehand? – the two Epigonoi exchange less-than-amused glances.

\- Oh, envoys have been dispatched. But by the elder brother, not the younger. You can deduce what that means, can you not, Diomedes?

\- Agamemnon wants them to fail, even if Paris acted without his father’s knowledge. And the show of force without waiting for the results of the embassy is another insult. Unless the Troad is full of cowards for some reason, they will be seething with indignation, not planning to make restitution for the princeling’s crime.

The old man nods. Small coincidences and lapses in judgment ending in a great disaster – why must this story repeat itself so often?

\- Precisely. Now that he can use both his own leverage, and that of Menelaos, he can force Akhaia to unite under Mykene. Letting go of such an opportunity? Agamemnon? As if. 

\- True. And if Priam does decide to cooperate, that just means Wilusa is weak and can be pressured into ever increasing concessions. Either way Agamemnon gets what he wants.

\- Well, he has never been humble in his desires. It is knowing what to do to achieve them that is the problem with him.

\- Forget the Atreidai for the moment. It is not their wisdom that is admired throughout Akhaia. What do you think, Neleides?

Many speak sweet words to the ruler of Pylos, with their own ends in mind. For Diomedes, this is no more than a statement of cold, hard fact. Fair enough. Honesty for honesty.

\- I think Eris has already set the stage for precisely the kind of show She enjoys. And one can either remain a spectator, or become part of that performance. But the audience does not determine the course of the play. A canny actor, on the other hand…

\- So, your plan is - damage control?

\- Yes, damage control. As long as Agamemnon will listen to good counsel, a disaster for the Troad need not be a disaster for Akhaia. As for you two – well, you both took that oath, did you not? There is not much choice.

\- There is always choice. That oath was taken by private individuals. Therefore, every single one of Helen’s suitors is bound to answer the call of the Atreidai. But – that’s it. No armies, no ships. If all the suitors just showed up themselves, but refused to involve anyone else – what would Agamemnon do?

For a moment, Nestor tries to imagine. 

\- Do you intend to find out?

\- Of course not. What I mean is – something that originally concerned no more than a few dozen men should not bind all of Akhaia. There has to be something more serious. That is why I wanted to know your reasons for involving Pylos. 

\- Consider this: is a crime committed by a shepherd and a king similar?

\- No. A king’s actions have far-reaching consequences, therefore he should be held to a harsher standard.

\- There you have it. Paris saw fit to spit on xenia – very well, that is on him only. But he is not a nameless boy somewhere in the Troad. And she who followed him, willingly or otherwise – is the daughter of mighty Aigiokhos Himself. This will be spoken of. Not for a moon, not for a year – far longer. Sparta? Akhaia? The entire known world shall hear. And if a prince can go against the laws of the immortals and survive – what can be expected of simpler folk? Now, such things do not happen quickly. Generation after generation may slowly absorb this poison. But old age brings with itself the gift – or curse – of thinking in terms of centuries, whereas youth lives in the here and now.

Of course one oath can not be enough to bind one land to a single purpose, and condemn another to ruin. Neither can the ambitions of a king. But there are laws to which all humans are subject, and those laws, when broken, thirst for blood.

Diomedes seems to find the explanation acceptable.

\- A crime revealed and left unpunished festers, even if at the moment it might seem comparatively small. Akhaia’s chosen medicine for such cases has always been bronze and fire, so that is what Wilusa gets if it grants Paris its protection. What do you think, Sthenelos?

\- I think this is going to bite everyone in the rear end. We are not talking a quick campaign here, right? Even if we take the city – can we recover after such a victory? And Agamemnon is bound to get used to being the largest wolf in the pack, so good luck curbing his appetites once we are done.

\- Good thing this can wait until after we deal with Wilusa, – Tydeides retorts.

Nestor shakes his head. The list of potential complications is accurate, but not exhaustive.

\- I have one more thing for you to look forward to, young men: Hatti.

Kapaneides throws his hands up in exasperation.

\- Could we perhaps seriously consider sabotaging this disaster before it gets out of hand?

They both laugh – the two Epigonoi, spearman and charioteer. Whatever complaints or misgivings there might be – both recognize doubt for the ghost it is.

Once the trumpets of war have been sounded – who cares about ghosts?

Then, the ruler of Argos turns to his guest.

\- Let us go to the palace, son of Neleus. You are tired, and the sun is vicious. Just one more question. They say Wilusa is protected by a statue fallen from the sky, a sign of Athene’s favour. Is that true?

\- I see no reason to doubt it. Are you wondering whether we shall be working against Her will in this matter?

\- We'll have to find out, it seems. 

And that is all there is to be said of the matter. Axiopoinos or Polioukhos, She Who metes out just punishment or She Who protects the city, whichever face Pallas Athene decides to show them – there is no choice, but to stand tall before the Goddess. 

***********************************************************************************

A note: yes, the author remembers there was an embassy with Menelaos and Odysseus, let us assume that happened later, there is time for multiple attempts at diplomacy.


End file.
